Fox Animation Studios could have a franchise on its hand with the pic from the "Ice Age" and "Rio" crew, based on William Joyce's "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs."

When Pixar's Brave hit theaters last summer, many in Hollywood whispered that it would never work since it featured a feisty girl as its lead. Yet the family film took in a solid $538.8 million worldwide and won the Oscar for best animated feature.

If it catches on, the movie could be a franchise for Fox Animation Studios, whose Vanessa Morrison is determined to promote strong female characters, and Blue Sky Studios, the team behind Ice Age and Rio.

Based on William Joyce's The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, Epic tells the story of a young girl who finds herself drawn into a secret world where she must help a team of whimsical characters save their forest from evil forces. Chris Wedge (Ice Age) directed, and the voice cast is led by Amanda Seyfried.